Germany’s military spy agency is warning that Russia and China are boosting their espionage activities in the country.
In a new report published Friday, Germany’s Military Counterintelligence Service said that it is of “prominent value” for Russia, hence why a “high number of Russian intelligence operatives” are deployed there.
Since Germany started actively backing Ukraine with ammunition and weapons to fend off Russia’s full-scale aggression, it is “being reconnoitered even more intensively by Russian services,” according to the report.
Russia’s ability to spy on Germany has been weakened, however, since Berlin expelled 40 Russian diplomats over the last year. Russia is expected to “try to compensate by other methods of obtaining information,” as Moscow seeks to have an advantage over NATO countries.
Russia’s ability to sabotage essential infrastructure is also considered “a serious threat” in the report.
China is also pursuing “cyber espionage, hybrid measures, as well as classic espionage operations” as the Asian superpower looks to dominate on the world stage. “Chinese participants make intensive use of access to Bundeswehr offices and personnel to gather information,” the report added.
China and Russia are the “most active players in espionage,” the military agency concluded.
Source : POLITICO
